What Time Does Gorilla Habituation Start and End in Bwindi?
What Time Does Gorilla Habituation start and end in Bwindi?
What time does Gorilla Habituation start and end in Bwindi? The Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park starts early in the morning by 7:00 AM. It starts with a briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla habituation. Then, you follow a group of researchers and scientists in the forest in search of the gorillas.
The time it takes to find the semi-habituated gorilla family is hard to determine. This is because they are constantly on the move to find food or due to other factors prevailing in the forest. Once you find the gorillas, you spend up to four hours with them. The scientists will guide you on your behavior before these gentle giants. You’ll participate in activities that help these mountain gorillas get used to human presence. This allows such gorilla families to be trekkable after a given time. After the four hours, you trek back to the headquarters to get your certificates. It is therefore hard to determine which time gorilla habituation ends.
The demand for Gorilla habituation permits is always high because there are only 8 permits available per day. Only 4 people go for habituation to visit the gorilla family. Bwindi has 2 gorilla families that are undergoing habituation. Therefore, there are 8 permits available daily for clients who want to undertake a gorilla habituation experience. We therefore recommend that you book your permit at least 2-3 months in advance. A Gorilla Habituation permit costs $1,500 per person per trek for foreign non-residents. Also, it costs USD1000 for Foreign Residents, $1000 for African Citizens, and USD200 for East African Citizens.
Most Popular Safaris
3 Days Gorilla Flying Safari to Bwindi (Luxury Gorilla Tour)
3 Days Gorilla Habituation Experience
4 Day Double Gorilla trekking via Kigali
4-Day Rwanda Gorilla and Culture
4 Days Lowland Gorillas and Lake Kivu Safari
5 Days Volcanoes, Nyungwe, and Lake Kivu Safari
5-Days Rwanda Gorilla Safaris and Wildlife Adventure
8 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari
9 Days Uganda Primates and Hiking Adventure
What is the difference between Gorilla Trekking and Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi?
The major difference is that you spend one hour with the mountain Gorillas during Gorilla trekking once you find them. Whereas for the Gorilla habitation experience, you spend 4 hours with mountain gorillas in the Bwindi forest. Gorilla trekking takes place in a group of 8 tourists tracking each gorilla family. Meanwhile, gorilla habitation involves a group of 4 tourists tracking a given semi-habituated gorilla family. What time does the Gorilla Habituation start and end in Bwindi? Both activities take place in Bwindi Forest National Park and both start in the morning hours. They also both require you to be fit to participate in one of the activities. This is because sometimes they tend to be strenuous especially when hiking through Bwindi Forest.
Best Time Gorilla Habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
The best time to do a Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is during the drier months of January, February, June to early September, this makes it easier to travel to the park and gives a clear view of gorillas given the vegetation cover is not too much high grown
What to pack for the Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi?
During Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, you will need a comfortable, hard-wearing, pair of walking shoes or boots. Conditions are generally very muddy when it is raining. There are uphill sections which may be quite steep and strenuous. It is also advisable to wear a long-sleeved cotton shirt and lightweight long trousers. These protect you from the undergrowth, stinging nettles, and biting ants. Suggested Items to pack for Gorilla trekking in Bwindi include;
- Insect Repellent
- Torch/Flashlight – and Spare Batteries
- Wet Wipes
- Water Bottle
- Camera and lenses
- Comfortable walking/hiking boots & socks
- Gardening gloves for gorilla tracking
- Sandals/strops/walking shoes
- Hat and Sunscreen
- Rain Jacket
- Sweater/fleece
- Swimwear
- Binoculars (game/bird watching)
How hard and challenging is Gorilla Habituation in Bwindi National Park?
Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park timings and conditions vary tremendously. This is because the gorillas move continuously through the rainforest. It is good to physically prepare thoroughly and remember the weather can change with very little warning. The terrain is often steep and through areas where there are no marked paths. It can be very strenuous or maybe just a couple of hours. It can also be for a full day of up to 8 hours or more of hiking in hot, high-altitude conditions. Therefore, please prepare for this by being as fit as possible.
Where to stay during the Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Gorilla Habituation Experience takes place as of now in 2 sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. These are; the Rushaga sector and Nkuringo sector, each with one gorilla family to habituate. In Rushaga, you can stay at Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Four Gorillas Lodge, Gorilla Heights Lodge, and Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge. You can also stay at Nsongi Camp, Icumbi Gorilla Safari Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, and Karungi Camp. In Nkuringo lodges you can stay at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, or Lake Mutanda Resort. All these lodges are close to the starting points of Gorilla Habituation and Gorilla trekking.
Gorilla Heights Lodge for a Luxurious Stay and view of Bwindi Forest
How to get to get to Bwindi Forest
By Road
This will depend on which sector you will be doing your gorilla habituation in Bwindi Forest. You can access Bwindi can be accessed through the main high-way road from Entebbe/Kampala. It is approximately an 8-9 hour drive. You can access the northern sectors of Ruhija and Buhoma by turning off along the Kabale-Kisoro road. You will see the signpost of Uganda Wildlife Authority which you will follow up to the designated sector for your trek. The southern sectors of Rushaga and Nkuringo trailheads can be reached using the road turning off at Muko along the Kabale-Kisoro Highway.
To cut the distance short, you can opt to land in Kigali. It is a 5-hour journey from Kigali city to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
By Air
You can fly from Entebbe International Airport or Kampala’s Kajjansi Airfield to Kisoro airstrip. You’ll access the southern sectors of Rushaga and Nkuringo. If you fly to Kihihi airstrip, you’ll be able to easily access the northern sectors of Ruhija and Buhoma. Scheduled and chartered flights are available and operated by domestic airline operators of Aero Link and Fly Uganda. You will need to plan with your tour operator(see form at the end of this article). We’ll book a flight and transfer from the airstrip to the Lodge for your stay.
Why Book Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Through Safari Vacations and Travel Services?
Safari Vacations and Travel Services will help you book your gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi Forest. Contact us by filling out the form below and we advise you on the booking process. We also have different gorilla trekking safari packages ranging from budget, and mid-range to luxury options. We can book them for you including the gorilla permits. Feel free to check out our trip advisor reviews and read from a community of happy satisfied clients. With us, you can be rest assured of a memorable Uganda safari holiday. We are devoted to providing excellent service and customer satisfaction. Our team of excellent tour consultants is always willing to help answer all your safari questions. We guarantee you a great gorilla tour in Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo with us. Contact us here for more information about what time the Gorilla Habituation starts and ends in Bwindi and other queries.
